L and the Facebook Challenge
by Secretly Insane
Summary: What sorts of things do genius detectives do when they have some free time? How about go on a quest to find the identity of an online stalker? OR just sit there and eat cake. Why not both?
1. Chapter 1

**So this time around I've decided to do a fic that delves into L on a level all his own. This fic takes place a few years prior to the Death Note Series, so he is around the age that Light is now. He lives on his own, but is in constant contact with Watari for soon to be obvious reasons. So what is a detective to do when he has no cases to solve?. . . Who said online dating! . You guys are awful. Anyway, I don't own Death Note, but I wish I knew a real life L. So Read and review, cause that will earn you cookies, which encourages me to bake, which in turn makes L happy. And that is why we're here, right? To eat cookies with L.**

L found himself in a wondrous predicament one day when he had finally finished his case. It was the normal drab sort of case where the culprit was ignorant and left clues like mud prints over everything he touched. At least that is how it seemed to L. The Police, on the other hand, had been baffled for weeks with no leads. It took the detective less than a day to track down the man responsible and gather usable evidence to convict him of a tag team of crimes; armed robbery, arson, grand theft auto, and murder. All in all he felt under stimulated as he sat back from his computer and looked for once at the room around him.

It was bare, save the myriad of electronics he used when viewing video/audio tapes. Two separate laptops were on standby, not to mention his personal console. A TV was set on mute, a commercial for toothpaste running. A plate sat on one side of his console, a half eaten carrot cake lay skewered by a fork. Half a cup of tea perched on its little plate on the other side. The area was silent of noise other than the steady hum of the machines. A single window allowed the half cloudy day to provide constantly changing lighting.

Sitting on the floor, L managed a whole two minutes before his mind wanted to shred something to pieces for lack of something to do. His shadowed eyes scanned the room for something he might have forgotten to do. But of course, there was nothing. So he turned back to his laptop and flipped on the screen. Deciding to indulge in his one and only vise, the detective scrolled down his bookmark list and found his site. He had to blame Mello for this surely. It was his fault, knowing L couldn't resist being curious. Signing on to Facebook, he brought up his wall. Though it contained no real picture of him, he opted for a picture of a cookie instead; it did contain his alias name. No one online really thought he was L, the super detective who cracked the insane cases. Everyone believed he was a big fan, posting bits of news he found amusing from each case on his wall. He had many people who commented on them, wishing the real L good luck while unaware that he was getting their well wishes directly.

After sifting through the various requests for him to join Farmville, or some other silly game and deleting them all, he looked then to his messages. Most of the time people just left comments, but today he was interested to note that there was something in his inbox. Clicking to it, he saw a message titled, "I challenge you."

"This could be interesting," he murmured as he drew his bunched up legs closer to him. Pulling his plate closer with a single fingertip, he lifted a teetering bite of cake of cake to his mouth as he simultaneously reached for the mouse. Opening the message, L read the words carefully while he chewed the moist pastery.

_Dear L,_

_I know you are him, the guy who solves the mysteries nobody else can. I also know that you are bored, or at least when you aren't working. You wouldn't be here if you had something better to do, right? I am too. So why not play a game? See if you can find me. I'll give you clues, but not many. Don't want to make it too easy. Who knows, maybe we'll be closer than we think? _

_J._

Dropping his fork back onto the plate, L quickly clicked the reply button. Then he stalled, fingers poised above the keys. Should he say no? No one knew about his identity, maybe this was a ploy to get information out of him. That didn't sound right to him, after all the person didn't say anything about wanting to find him. And despite his attempts at being distant and vague while online, it was apparent that this person honed in on his boredom. Resolution began to settle in his stomach, letting the key strokes fall lightly while a small smile brightened his shadowed face.

_Dear J,_

_I do not know who you are. I accept your challenge._

_L_

Sending the message before he decided against it, he then sat back on the carpet. As he watched the screen and thought he subconsciously chewed on his thumb. He was not a friend of this person, so unless he went to their profile, he could not easily monitor their online status. Just as he thought about sending a friend request, a reply was received. Surprised at how quick they answered, he waited a moment before opening it. Another blip told him that someone had sent a friend request. Before he read the message, he opened the tap for pending requests and accepted the invite. Then he went directly to J's profile.

L hadn't known what to expect, but this was not it. J's profile was blank like that of someone who just joined. Which raised the question, did they join Facebook merely to pose him this challenge? There were no pictures, nobody in the friend list besides himself, or even basic information. The only thing listed was in the quote line below the profile picture. It said, "Come find me."

After searching the profile for any useful info and finding none, L returned to the message from before. Opening the page, he then stared at the two words in disbelief.

_Happy Hunting_

A mystery, one that just might prove more entertaining than any he had dabbled in recently. L hunched forward towards the screen, a smile playing on his lips. He couldn't help but feel like this was going to be fun.


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay, Chapter two! We are on a roll! ^'^**

Twenty three hours from the time J had last sent a message, L sat in front if his terminal looking at the idle screensaver. He hadn't slept during that length of time, the proof of which was in his deep set heavily shadowed eyes. His steady gaze never left the ever expanding length of his Facebook News wall. Every few minutes he went from one profile to the next of those who made comments, wondering if one of them was the illusive J under another name. After browsing the page, he would always return to his own, awaiting the first clue to appear.

Since it was the weekend he didn't have to worry about studying, or going to class. L was a private student at the Oxford school of Law, second year. It amused him that Interpol had to rely on the investigative skills of a pre grad student, but was glad for the stimulus. And since he was not needed in a case right now, the detective simply seethed anticipation at the prospect of the game ahead.

After waiting for as long as he could, L decided it was safe to take a liquid break. By this he first walked to the door of the room and went across the hall to the bathroom. Once finished relieving himself, L walked into the small kitchen of the apartment and set a kettle to warm some water for tea. He then returned to his room to stare at the screen a few more minutes till he heard the whistle of the kettle. Still no activity. Shifting on the carpet, he looked at the other equipment with a glare of defiance. He wasn't being impatient, merely eager to begin this little trial. It wasn't his fault that his challenger was taking their sweet time preparing. This only made him ponder the motives of this mystery person. Were they only playing a game, or was there a sinister plot afoot that he had yet to discover.

Returning to the kitchen, he made his tea and though silently as he sipped. The apartment he currently lived in was bland to say the least. It had no decorations on any of the walls, no entertainment equipment and no furniture except for two chairs and a small love seat. The flat was cheap and located ideally on campus, two things he liked most. Not to mention that there were so many people coming and going that no one ever noticed he was there, some of his own neighbors thought that this unit was empty. It didn't help that he hardly left the place save for class and getting food. Both of which he managed without being seen leaving or entering the building. It wasn't like he went out disguised, but he knew how to blend in so that the eye passed over him without noticing.

Walking slowly, his posture slouched with head hanging; L returned to his laptop on the carpet, his legs folded close and his tea cup in hand. Taking a steady drink, he then looked at the screen. He couldn't believe it. In his friends list it showed J's status as online. He tried to open a chat, but as soon as he typed "hello J" the status changed to offline again. Completely surprised by this, he looked on J's profile first to see if there were any changes. An entry had been submitted on J's wall only seconds before.

"It's a cloudy day today. I don't want to go out unless it's to play in the puddles."

As soon as he read the words, L became a steady motion of activity. He opened two new windows on his browser. First he opened up a window and used the international weather base to see a satellite video feed of current weather patterns. Then he used the other window to look at possible locations. Several areas of the world were covered in clouds, or had storms. He ruled out the central US, because the clue said nothing about tornados. He also ruled out Russia, because they were currently having vast snow blizzards. England always had clouds and on the verge of rain, but so was the northwest of the US. And both were currently covered in clouds. There was also a little something going on in the lower parts of Australia, but whether or not it was rainclouds had yet to be confirmed.

Opening a writing document, he typed in the three suspected locations. Labeling it simply, "J" he saved it to his thumb drive and went back to his Facebook page.

Three days passed and L went through his normal routine as classes demanded his attention. Going to his lectures, listening to the long rants of old cops turned professors, even writing his weekly essays. But even as he let life take its natural ebb and sway, he kept letting his thoughts wonder back to J. It was the allure, the mystery. Who was this person? And why did they want so badly to interact with L?

Trying to be impartial, he looked at it from both angles. On the one hand, J could be someone working to bring the notorious detective down by unconventional means. On the other, J could be another detective trying to test his skills. It wouldn't be the first time. How else would he have gotten Interpol's attention as such a young and inexperienced, not to mention unknown, man? He had to thank Watari, his mentor for that. The elderly gentleman had always looked out for him, even helping him set up this place at such a University where he could get a proper education. L knew he'd need it if he ever wanted a chance to help people as an enforcer of law. There was, of course, the third option. That J was just another person out there, trying to entertain themselves. Wasting his time and not working for either side. He wouldn't mind if it was the third option, at least he'd know that they weren't out to kill him. Or that they were trying to discredit him. He knew all to well that many did not understand and therefore not approve of his methods of deduction. Not that he cared, but it would be nice to know that someone at least appreciated his efforts.

That afternoon, as he walked into his apartment, he heard a soft ringing noise. Hurriedly, the detective went to his room and saw a little window blinking. It was an instant message linked to his page. It pulsed every time a comment was added to it. Bringing it up to full size with his nimble toes, L realized it was J. The page was fifteen lines of "hello L?" Dropping his bag off to the side, he plopped down in front of the screen and replied.

"Hello J".


	3. Chapter 3

**ok guys, be proud of me. Two chapters in one day! I'm just having too much fun. ^'^ ok, but don't be alarmed. Some of this chapter is like IMing and I didn't want you to get confused, so italics is regular writing, while regular script is the conversation between the two. Hope you like, and don't forget to review!**

**Omn omn omn omn! Begin!**

**L**: Hello J

**J**: Hello to you, L.

Have you any ideas yet?

**L**: A few

**J**: Well good. I can't imagine you not. XD

**L**: You can't?

**J**: Of course.

**L**: Why not?

**J**: You wouldn't be a good detective if you weren't always thinking.

**L**: Everyone thinks

**J**: Yea, but you do it on a more specific level.

**L**: You think so?

**J**: I know so. ;)

**L**: So was that the only clue I get?

**J**: Nooo, silly. This is the second. ^'^

And who knows. . . maybe I'll give you a few more.

_At reading this, L gets slightly confused. The second clue? How is chatting with me a clue? He looked at the screen and pondered the possibility. Then he smiled as J continued with:_

**J**: See? I bet you already are wondering what in the world I'm talking about? Most people wouldn't even pay attention, but you spotted it right off.

**L**: What do you mean?

**J**: How is _this,_ a clue?

**L**: Indeed

**J**: XD Wow, you're good.

**L**: How so?

**J**: Always asking questions, not giving information

Not to mention that you are trying to get me to spill

**L**: Spill?

**J**: You know, spill my guts. Make it easy for you to find me.

Ain't gonna happen. Sorry. ^^

**L**: That would be no fun

**J**: Exactly. ^^

_L couldn't help but start to see what J meant. The more they talked, the more he was starting to get a vague picture. Not of what J looked or sounded like, but how J thought. The views and ideas were cleverly hidden in intelligent yet vague answers. J was being as cautious of him as he normally was of others discovering his identity. And he knew that there were certain things to glean from this dialogue. _

_For one, J spoke fluent English, which only supported his list so far. He gathered that from the easy flow of words, with no awkward phrasing which can occur when translating from another language. He also suspected, but had no solid proof that J was in fact a girl. He made it a mental note to investigate further, but it would help little at this stage. His only basis for this connection is that he couldn't imagine boys of any age casually using the word silly, or calling someone like himself silly. Seeing the words made him smile slightly. Yes, he could agree that he was silly at times. At least in the eyes of others._

_L brought up his little "J" file and added the new information to the list. He left the idea of J being a girl out for the time being. He didn't want to put it in his mind just yet in case there was contradicting evidence. Then he switched back to his conversation._

**J**: Hello?

Did I scare you off?

**L**: No. I'm here

**J**: Oh, good. ^^

_Two hours passed in bliss, the only noise in the apartment was the steady click click of the keys as L typed. He was surprised when he looked at the clock and saw the time, four thirty am. In that time they had chatted about various things. Philosophy, history, current affairs of the world. L knew that J must be at least a college student, no one younger would be this worldly. J also let slip a little tidbit, that it was a passion to tinker with electronics. This was by no means unusual for this day and age, but he added it to his notes to look into later. _

_Half the time L found himself laughing softly at J's quick witted remarks. He knew that J was both intelligent and clever as they talked about some of the cases he had done, the ones he had posted on his wall. A few times J almost managed to get L to divulge some of the details he hadn't posted, but he managed to catch himself. Idly, he wondered if J was someone trying to weasel investigator information, like for a column or something. This was quickly eradicated when J switched topics altogether and began asking him what kind of music he liked._

**J**: Yea, music. You know, those tunes you hear on the radio, or on your computer.

Don't tell me you never listen to music, or haven't been to youtube.

**L**: I've never been on You Tube, but I have heard music before.

I just don't have time to listen often.

**J**: Do you have a favorite band?

**L**: No

**J**: WAT? o.O

_L laughed as J attempted to have him listen to several songs that were linked to him. After another hour he admitted that he did enjoy music, but that he still wouldn't listen to it much. Too many things to do and his attention didn't need to be thinned by listening to screaming rock bands while he tried to work. J seemed to understand and accepted that maybe that wasn't the most productive music choice. _

_The end of their conversation came too quickly in L's opinion. Night was turning to early morning, the light bringing on a steady drizzle outside. J admitted that it was time to go, though the reason was not divulged. L wondered, was J going to bed? Work? School? He supposed that was part of the mystery, though knowing the time zone would greatly narrow his search._

**J**: See you later L.

**L**: Will I?

**J**:wat?

**L**: See you later?

**J**: Not today L. One day perhaps

If you can find me. ^^

**L**: Till then.

**J**: Yes, till then.

"_Goodbye," he murmured as J's status switched to being offline. Slowly, L got to his feet and ran his long fingers through his shaggy black hair. The motion felt nice. It made him want some cake, for reasons he could not decipher. With a reassuring glance at his laptop, he walked out of his room. _


	4. Chapter 4

**ok now don't get nippy. This chapter is short, because I'm going to switch to J in the next chapter and I don't want any confusion. So for now, enjoy the suspense!**

Darting from the kitchen back into the room, L quickly opened a web page. How could he have been so oblivious? J had openly said that their conversation was a clue and he had admittedly gotten lost in their talk to think through what had been said. Now, having given it a few minutes to sink in, he realized that it wasn't what was said at all that mattered, but the actual connection. He wasn't a genius at hacking or decrypting, but he knew who to contact to find IP addresses. After e-mailing his contact and giving a link to J's profile, he waited patiently for the answer. During this wait, he made a mental note to take a few computer courses so that he could get this sort of information on his own. It would be an invaluable skill in the future, he was sure.

While he waited, L also checked the weather again. Australia had been nothing more than a fire along the coastline. There were reports and articles describing the cause and how it was affecting the people and wildlife. It was a minor worry, a few miles of neighborhood evacuated. Some injuries, but so far no deaths, for which he was silently glad. One less thing to think about. He went to his file and crossed it off the list. That meant that J was either in his own England, or in the Northwest US.

A blip on the corner of his screen showed he had a new message. Opening it, he got a most confusing answer. His contact managed to narrow the signal to the Northwest, but was unable to make a complete link with J's computer. Since that was the case, his contact could not identify which computer in the region had been connected to his without being linked in at the time they were connected. In short, his window to find out exactly where J was had passed as soon as the status had changed to offline. L would have to wait for another opportunity. A side note had been made about an irregularity in the frequency concerning J's profile. His contact called it, "Viral code". He assured L it wouldn't infect his computer, but that the code seemed to be a digital tripwire of some kind, though he knew not for what.

Thanking him for his time, L went back to his file and crossed off England. So now he knew what region J was in currently. Now all he needed to do was narrow it a bit more. He suspected that would be available as soon as he got another clue. This game was moving along fast and he enjoyed envisioning what might happen next. L admitted to himself that the viral code had him curious. Was it a clue as well? Or something else entirely?

Over the course of the next week, L tried to catch J again with little success. Between his classes and whatever kept J away, they never seemed to be on at the same time. The detective couldn't help but wonder if this was by accident or design. At least once a day, J managed to slip on for a minute, sometimes less. More often than not it was to add a couple links on the wall; A song that was insisted upon L listening to. At first he didn't know what to make of this. Were these clues? After listening to them, he decided that J was trying to find a style he would like. Encouraging him to listen to something he normally would not take the time to. In this case, since they were part of this game, he felt the need to listen in hopes that it may lend a hint to J's identity. The music choice varied from rock to punk, classical to pop. He even thought one of the songs was an opera ballad. However, none of it was of any use to him in solving this mystery, though he opted to leave comments on the ones he liked more. This only encouraged J to post links to related songs, almost like creating an L specific playlist.

Then on the eve of the eighth day, L got the break he was waiting for. J's status had changed from off to online. He quickly sent a prompted IM. However, he got no reply. J, it seemed, was ignoring him for the time being. L wanted to feel upset that J refused to say anything in response, but let the worry go. He was a detective, and J was his suspect. Even if it was only a game, he wouldn't let himself be compromised. Steadily, he watched the screen. After about five minutes J logged off and L took the queue to investigate.

The profile was the same as he had grown accustomed, except for a new post on the News wall. J had posted a simple, yet telling entry. As he memorized the words, he knew he had taken a big leap closer to finding J.

_I'm going to the fair today. It's bracelet day, so I get to go on all the rides for free. There's supposed to be a traveling magic show too. Wish you could come._


	5. Chapter 5

**And here it is, the next chapter. Hope it gets you gearing for more. ^'^**

J had worried about the clouds as they rolled in from the coast. The news had predicted a likely chance at showers, though considering the region, it was more than likely. It would make the trip to the fair all the more interesting, what with rain dousing everyone in the rides, or making the concert goers turn their favored mosh pits into mud pits. Not that it would change anything. Oregonians never stopped due to a little moisture. In fact, it seemed that most were born with webbed feet, thriving on rainy days where most others would head indoors. There were days when J spotted handymen doing last minute paint jobs, or poncho wearing old ladies playing in their gardens during heavy rain storms. Yup, Oregon was full of interesting critters.

Today the college junior planned on meeting up with a few classmates at the Lane County Fair. The fair itself was almost a week long, but J was disappointed to only be able to go today. Classes filled up most of the week, but it was Saturday and supposedly there was going to be an appearance of a traveling magic show. Granted it was small budget and probably only going to truly entertain the little kids, J thought it might be fun.

Throwing a black zip up hoodie that said, "Zero's and ones are my bread and butter" on over a blue camo tee and faded jeans, J grabbed the wallet by the stairs and made it to the doorway before a voice rang out.

"Hang on! You're leaving already?" a male voice called playfully. J looked up at the landing to see one of the other roomies of the building. He had shaggy brown hair that framed his face and hazel eyes that always hinted at a mischievous side, though he tried to act responsible. He was the resident letch, but he was sweet and looked out for everyone like his own brothers and sisters. It was his house that everyone rented a room from. Sharing the four bedroom house with a few other students made living expenses not so unbearable for everyone involved, though their backgrounds and social status varied.

"Yea, I wanted to get their early. You know, grab an elephant ear before the show," J replied with a hint of a smile.

"Well don't forget to bring me back some, eh? And say hi to the geek squad, oh I mean hunk squad," he teased while leaning over the railing.

"Sure, sure. I'll call you later, let you know if the show was a bust," J called with a wave in farewell while walking out the door. "Bye Haji." With that the door slipped closed and J walked down the steps onto the street. The house, which was tall and angular but not remarkable in architecture, was only a few blocks away from the fair grounds.

The college student walked with hands in pocket, ipod drowning out the cities most common noises. The playlist was one that had only been updated earlier that day, J having downloaded a ton of music that might be good hits. It was fun, trying to figure out the master detectives' favorite genre. It was an interesting side project really, L didn't make it easy. He liked music, but he didn't enjoy a lot of one genre specifically. So J made it a mission to find what songs he would like, looking in all types of music. Currently, J had managed to weasel out at least twenty songs that L had liked. Hopefully with this new list, a few more might be added.

"Which reminds me," J murmured while fishing out a cell from an inner pocket of the hoodie. Flipping it open and a few clicks later brought a facebook page up. So convenient, having this feature. It made contacting the current project simpler, especially for a college kid always on the go.

Seeing that no message was received, J assumed that L hadn't taken the hint from their last conversation. The detective hadn't tried to tap in for the IP address, or else he would be spouting his victory about now. Not that there was one. J prided on the fact that electronics and computer coding were what this computer genius was put on earth for. There wasn't a single wire faceted, or chip encoded that J couldn't either hack into or control from even such simple hardware as a cell phone. So even if L had tried to make the connection between his computer to the internet café that was the local site at the time, the tripwire would have activated and sent him somewhere completely different.

"Not so easy as all that," the hacker laughed quietly while typing out the message to be posted on the Facebook wall. "But we'll just cut him a break. See if he jumps." Hitting send and snapping the cell shut, J looked up to see the fairgrounds abuzz with music and laughter. It was still early in the day, but the clouds were darkening so the lights on the rides were just barely visible. Walking casually to one of the two open gates and paying the fee, J slipped on the plastic bracelet that made all the rides free and continued on into the crowd.

"I can't believe you went on the Zipper twice," Gary, one of the computer buffs that made up the geek squad, guffawed a few hours later. Slapping J on the back, he laughed until he had to hold his side. Since the college hacker had already lost the elephant ear eaten earlier with a mad dash to the trashcan, J had to admit that he had a point. Some of the rides spun the riders around and dropped them quickly from great heights and the Zipper was one of the worse. But when one gets a pass to ride all the rides free, it only makes sense to take advantage of it. Even if your stomach doesn't agree.

"Maybe you should take a break?" Madison, another member, suggested with concern. Slapping Gary's big hands away, she pushed up her big glasses and glared at the young man. They were polar opposites, but because of that they made the best coding team. Madison was short and petite, but had a mean streak that matched her ebony hair and piercing blue eyes. Gary was tall and lanky with blond hair that always looked greasy, and a face that was always covered in acne no matter what he used to treat it.

"No, I'm fine. Really," J murmured. However, neither of the other members of the squad listened. They argued over what to do, when their friend reminded them that they had gathered to see a magic show. After a few glares and a couple dramatic remarks, J managed to get the two back on track and on to the show.

The show, which was titled simply, "Magic" had been set up to the side of the grounds between a vendor selling corn on the cob and a rock climbing wall. Set on a platform probably build that day, high beams rose on either side, red patched purple curtains draping from them to create a sense of being in a theatre. A very shabby theatre. An amp set was on each corner of the stage while a lone microphone stood in the middle. People passed the set by on their way to see the barn animals, but a few including the squad stopped by in curiosity.

"Welcome everyone!" a booming voice belted through the amps. It was so loud that some of the passersby yelled to turn it down. After apologizing, a tech appeared from around the stage and tweaked with the equipment as a man stepped abruptly from behind the curtains. As he stepped closer to the front of the stage it was obvious that he took some sort of pride in his job. Dressed in a garment made of a myriad of fabrics and colors with feathers sticking out at odd places, he looked like a shaman from some backwaters country. His face was painted like a skull and his eyes looked like he wore yellow contacts. "Welcome!" he said again, though much quieter. He turned and yelled something unintelligible at the techy, who had accidentally turned the sound off.

"Can everyone hear me?" the man asked after a moment. With some adjustments, the tech gave the thumbs up and the man turned back to the audience. "Sorry folks, technical difficulties." The squad giggled as they waited, finding a seat in the grass that was shaded by a small tree.

"Ah, there we are. Welcome everyone. Those of you here are going to be witness to astonishing wonder. You will be mystified and left in confusion. True magic will be seen hear on this stage. Gather now, as we begin to show you greatness, the likes of which you've not seen before," The man announced grandly as he backed off to the side of the stage. The lighting of the stage turned blue and a soft music began to play. "I introduce to you now, the amazing juggler."

From there the routine was a standard theatrical side show. There was the juggler, who danced and moved while juggling glass orbs that almost appeared to defy gravity. Then the contortionist, who bent and folded into impossible shapes. And finally the illusionist. This part of the act required an assistant. The illusionist, a man who wore a tux and a top hat scanned the crowd. Madison and Gary, for once acting on the same wavelength, grabbed each of J's hands and through their friend up so that the guy noticed. Of course, he spotted the movement despite the bright lighting and beckoned the student forward. J had no choice. So promising silently to crash the squad's project computer hard drives, the hacker walked up to the stage and smiled nervously at the man. The illusionist pointed to a box that was small and black, saying that J had to clime inside. Skeptically, J walked over and stepped into it. The box only rose to about the knee, so J had to sit and fold in low so the illusionist could fit the lid on.

Hearing the man's muffled voice, J wondered just what sort of trick this was going to be when a creak from below silenced any thoughts. Quite suddenly, the bottom dropped out. Before J could do anything in response, but yelp in surprise, rough hands forced a bag over the hackers head.

"And tada!" the illusionist yelled as he pulled the clip that made the box collapse. Madison and Gary applauded with the crowd at seeing their friend disappear. However, their applause stopped abruptly when the man bowed a few times then disappeared behind the curtain. The shaman came back on stage to encourage another round of applause for the performers and to let everyone know about the merchandise they had for sell in the booth next door.

Looking at each other with worry, the two made their way to the stage. Hopping up on the platform, Gary asked the man where their friend, the assistant, had gone. Laughing, the man said that he could not reveal his performers secrets, but assured them both that their friend was perfectly fine.

"Probably went off to get something to eat. You kids these days are always eating," he laughed again while shooing Gary off the stage. Wanting to make sure J was alright, both students decided to head back out into the rest of the fair in hopes that their fellow classmate had truly snuck off to grab a bite without them.

**Can you guess if J is a guy or girl? It'll be revealed soon, I promise. However, I'd love to hear your guesses so review review review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yay another chapter! ok, so things aren't panning out quite as J had hoped. And L is his usual awesome self. lol Enjoy, and review. I still want to know what you think. And for the hey of it I want to see if you guys can guess what happens next. Tea with L if you get it right.^'^**

Fingers going numb from all the typing, L paused only once in his frantic search to sip some tea while he waited for the search engines to show the results. The past two and a half hours flew by as he looked by state and county all locations where fairs or festivals took place. Since he knew J was at the location now, L was able to narrow the search from those that had already or not yet taken place. It also helped that not every festival had such attractions as magic shows. However, by the end of it he was only able to narrow it down to six possible places. And they were spread throughout three states.

Chewing on the tip of his thumb, the detective thought about all the information he had gathered so far. Swapping pages from that of the online search to that of his project file, L stared at the meager compiled information with a frown deepening his brow. So little was given, but he knew that there had to be something that would bring this case to a head.

Eyes scanning each line slowly, he considered each bit carefully. J liked water and it had been cloudy. So wherever J is, rain is surely a common thing. Pulling up the weather page again, he looked at the current patterns. Steady streams of cloud were pouring in along the northwest, most particularly Oregon. In fact, he had noticed it had never gone away. J never mentioned the sun coming out. And it had been partly sunny in Washington and California the last couple days.

Then he looked at the most recent message. A fair, a magic show. Both of which helped narrow the search, but not enough. He stared at the line furtively in silence. Then it hit him, of course.

"Bracelet day," he murmured while snapping back to his list of fairs and festivals. "J said that today was bracelet day and that that meant you could go on all the rides for free." After putting in that filter, the list dropped dramatically. L's eyes reflected the computers light, a triumphant smile tugging on his lips.

"Lane County Fair. I'm one step closer to-," he paused as a most peculiar thing began to happen to his screen. A blip, small but bright kept appearing in the corner of his screen. Clicking on it curiously, L was surprised that it popped up his Facebook page. The blip was a message from J. Opening his inbox, the message had no title, which seemed unusual for J. Opening the message he read the words J had so urgently typed.

_I don't know how much time I have, L. I know you were close to finding me, and I wanted it that way. But now the game starts for real. Something's happened L.I went to the fair and saw the magic show. I got volunteered to assist in some trick and the bottom of the box fell through. I don't know where I am, or where they are taking me. I'm writing to you via my cell, so use the connection to create a GPS tracker before I lose service. Help me L, you're the only one who would know how to. Come find me now._

_J_

Staring at the screen, L couldn't believe the words he had just read. J, had been kidnapped? By who? And why? Questions he would need to answer along the way. Grabbing his own cell, the detective made two important calls. The first was to his regional tech that could make the tracker that J had suggested. The second call was to Watari. He raced about the room, grabbing a bag and stuffing it with random personal items while the call began to ring. His guardian answered on the second ring.

"What can I do for you L?" he asked in his calm, deep set voice.

"I need a ticket to Oregon," L replied as he tossed in a bag of candy on his raid through the kitchen. He didn't fully understand this impulse, but for some reason he knew that the only way to close this case would be to track down J in person. He had never done this before, preferring to solve mysteries from behind his computer, looking at his suspects from the other end of a monitor. But this was different. Instead of stopping someone from committing a crime and harming others, he was going to try and save a potential victim from suffering a fate at the hands of those criminals.

"Is that all that you need?" he asked. Watari knew better than to question his wards' sometimes bazaar demands.

"No. I need you to run a trace on a cell phone."

"Certainly, what's the number?" L held the phone out at arms length and looked at the device for a moment. "I don't know, but I will soon."

"Very well, I'll arrange a flight right away. When you get the number let me know and I'll conduct a full search while you're in the air," Watari instructed. L trusted the efficiency that his guardian worked, having been a detective himself once, long ago.

"Thank you."

**(Meanwhile)**

After the initial grab and bag, J was thrown into a crate inside some vehicle that had no inner light. The lid to the crate was hand nailed shut and any attempts to scream or call for help bounced back along the crates walls and was drowned out by the heavy engine that pulled the vehicle along. The air was stale and smelled like sweat and farm animals; Hay had been strung along the floor.

Pulling the hood off with shaking hands, the student looked for a way out. After a moments futile search, it was apparent that there was no way out of the crate, unless a hammer magically appeared. J cursed softly at the thought. Who made organized kidnappings like this these days? And why on earth would the kidnappers use the pretense of a magic show and manage their intent without anyone noticing? And how come no one noticed that the assistant had not reappeared after the trick had been finished? J then thought about Madison and Gary. They didn't have a clue and were probably wandering the fair now looking for their friend. They had no idea that such a thing had happened.

The road started to get very uneven, like the vehicle was driving over gravel or dirt. Bumping along unsteadily as it hit rivets and potholes in the ground, J tried to grab onto something as everything jostled about, but found no purchase. A sharp turn made the hacker slam into the side of the crate. Black and white dots danced in J's vision and a steady throb began where head met unforgiving wood. Soon the road leveled and was smooth, so J could only assume that they had reached the highway.

Hands unsteady from shock and fear pulled out the thankfully unharmed cell and J began to type the note to L by the dim light of its screen. No one else would know where to start looking; No one else would know which way to go. Placing faith in a man thousands of miles away to save a person he had never once met, J sent the plea before unconsciousness blocked out everything.


	7. Chapter 7

**Yay! The next chapter. ok ok I reveal J's gender, but I think I will tease you a little and not reveal J's true name until the very end. Muaahahaha very evil of me, I know. **

An hour after L made his phone calls, he was aboard one of the private jets Watari always seemed to have on call. Legs drawn up and hands gripping the arm rests, the detective looked straight ahead as the front of the plane elevated at takeoff. Holding his breath seemed foolish, but L never did like the idea of flying. He normally wouldn't unless he thought it absolutely necessary. In this case, it was.

Once the seat belt sign turned off, he unbuckled and relaxed a fraction, letting his breath out slowly before opening the foldout tray connected to the back of the seat in front of him. Then he pulled out his laptop and began to work again. There were still several hours before he would be in American air space and a few protocol tasks needed doing. First, he contacted his tech to get an update on the tracker. After being assured that he would be notified once the link was made he then turned to Watari. His guardian had received the phone's number a mere ten minutes after their initial call. Since then the older man had been doing research from wherever he was and sending the finds directly to L via e-mail. Finally, L called the American head of security. Though baffled at how he managed to get their number in the first place, the office was all to easy to give him the number of the FBI branch.

It seemed a little fishy to him, that something this organized as a setup kidnapping would take place and no one had reported anything. There had to be some leads, some idea as to who would go to the trouble. So he called the FBI to inquire. At first they tried to give him the runaround, putting him on hold and transferring his call from one office to the next. Finally, after waiting patiently for over forty minutes, he managed to get one person on the line long enough to explain the situation to them.

What he learned was blood boiling. According to the investigators, several groups hiding under the guise of entertainers were shanghaiing American girls to sell overseas as slaves. They moved frequently and never struck the same city twice. They were so efficient that authorities had no leads to follow by the time the girls were reported missing. The past attempts to find Shanghai safe houses had either failed, or ended with the authorities arriving too late to save any of the victims. Those who lived long enough to be sold, virtually disappeared.

After both sides had told their story, L got the support and permission of the FBI to help the investigation. They would provide any useful help they could while he tried to use that information to pinpoint J's location. His objective was to find J, but it would help everyone if such a threat was stopped. Feeling his laptop bleep with an incoming message, L told the investigators that he would keep in touch before abruptly hanging up and switching to his screen.

"I have found the identity of your friend L," Watari announced through his skype connection. "Shall I send you the file?"

"Yes, please do. Thank you Watari," L responded, his eyes barely containing their excitement. Finally, he was going to know who J was. Ok, so they still hadn't met and he still had some tracking to do. But to him it was just one step closer.

Opening the file, he scanned the contents quickly. At first it was the basic info, starting with the cell phone contract that was tied to the number. From there, Watari had searched the name of the contracts owner. Drivers license, birth certificate, criminal record, school record, everything about J was listed before him. L smiled just a little as his shadowed eyes fixed on the screen.

"Nice to have a name and face," he acknowledged as he looked at J's license. "I knew you were a girl," he added with a smile. It made obvious sense, since she was kidnapped by people who made a living off of snatching young woman and selling them to overseas drug lords. He didn't fancy the idea of that happening to J. It made him wish the jet could fly faster.

Deciding he had more to do than worry, L returned to J's file and read through its lengthy contents. J was a local of Springfield, a sister city to Eugene where she was going to school at the University of Oregon. This was to be her first year in college. Her major was in computer graphics, but the file showed that she was much more than a simple computer programmer. Excelling in all her studies, showing a vast aptitude for literature and history, she also spent much of her online life hacking into safety programs to help anti-virus programmers create better spyware. As he read more on her achievements in techno security and function, L began to wonder if she was a better tech than his current contact. The tech that had yet to call him with a working trace on J's cell phone, he thought in disappointment. Telling himself that it wasn't their fault, that he was just being impatient, he went on with the reading.

J lived currently in a house near the campus that was owned by the Fujimora family. Haji Fujimora, age 25, was the only son to the original owners and now lives in the house, while his parents retired and live out of state. At least two others live there besides J, but there was little information on them and L didn't see the need when there were other more interesting things to learn. J's parents live near the coast, her father being a fisherman and mother a writer. She went to various public schools, her family having moved several times throughout her childhood. It was at the young age of ten that she showed an interest in computers. When she moved on to high school, J continued learning all she could about computers and even taking advanced shop classes where they delved into welding and machinery.

"Very interesting," L murmured as he chewed on his thumb. His attention was so absorbed in reading the details Watari had discovered that he nearly jumped in surprised when his phone rang again. Recovering quickly from nearly toppling out of his chair, the detective opened the phone warily.

"Yes?" he asked in a monotone voice. Eyes widening, he hopped out of the chair and headed towards the front of the plane. "Thank you," he added distractedly before snapping the phone shut.

"Excuse me pilot," he called from his side of the cockpits closed door. A man, tall and broad compared to L's slouched and slender figure, slid open the door half way.

"What is it?" he asked while lifting one of the headset mufflers from his ear.

"We need to head a little more north than planned," the detective instructed calmly.

"How far north?" the man asked, his face drawn with potential irritation.

"Portland."

**(Meanwhile)**

A rocking sensation brought J back to consciousness. The crate the hacker had been boxed in was being carried somewhere by at least two persons. Streams of light moved along the small seams between the wooden planks of the crate, but J could not make out anything outside. Unceremoniously, the side of the crate was yanked off and J was dumped onto the floor. The two men, large and burly, hauled the box out of the room and closed the door behind them. J sat where she was dropped, her head still spinning from before.

The floor was a polished hardwood with a shag carpet covering a large portion of its center. The room itself was plain, no furnishings other than a few throw pillows and a bowl of fruit that was placed to one side. The walls were made of stone, thick bricks of cement lined with rotting wooden beams that ran along the ceiling. The smell of dust, stale air and fear made breathing a little stifling. If that wasn't strange enough, the hacker wasn't alone. Three other girls huddled on the floor around her, each cringing away from the men when they came too near.

"Where are we?" J asked when she could focus on one thing without her vision tilting and her stomach knotting with nausea. Lifting a hand to her scalp, she felt the prickly sensation of dried blood. I must have hit my head harder than I thought, she wondered.

"We don't know. Oh god. We don't know!" one of the girls cried as she collapsed on the carpet. Her body was rocking as she sobbed with tears of fright. "They just keep bringing more of us here. And then they take us away. But I don't know where," the same girl wailed. Holding her arms close to her, the girl, a dangerously thin blond, lapsed into silence despite her steady flow of tears. The other two girls, one an asian girl about 18 the other a pale brunette about 20, held the blond as she fell apart. They too looked to be in a state of shock, their expressions lost and frightened.

J felt her face pale and a steady ringing drown out other sounds, but she fought to stay conscious. She knew that it was far too dangerous a place to lie about helplessly. Making sure that her ear piece was still there, she checked the receiver button to see if she still had service. The reassuring dial tone helped her to calm down and assess the situation.

"By golly. I think I've been Shanghaied," she decided after giving it some thought. It was a popular trend back in the late fifty's after the prohibition. People traveled to secret locations all the time to indulge in all sorts of debauchery that had previously been illegal. And sometimes those people just turned up missing, never to be seen again. She didn't think things like that could still happen in this day and age. Then again, it was hard to deny the truth when it was slapping her in the face.

"ok, think. Where was this sort of thing the most common place?" J thought aloud. Eyes brightening, she snapped her fingers with realization. "Portland. It was the center for much of the slave trade and opiate houses in the Northwest. So it would make sense to be taken to a place where we would be properly handled." She knew there was a good reason she had taken that summer course last year on American history. Shuttering at the sudden chill, J wrapped her arms around her to fend off the draft. "Though that doesn't help get me out of here, now does it?"

**Review Review Review! ^'^ Cause it makes L want to smile with his panda eyes. Ooh, the panda eyes. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Yay, the next chapter! I'm so sorry for those who had to wait. Thank you for being so patient. And for the impatient, thanks for putting the cattle prod to me to get to writing on this again.**

Six hours later, L began to see the high ridged mountains that ran along the west coast. He had gotten annoyed with the seemingly endless flat land of the "breadbasket states" as his pilot had informed him. It wasn't anything against the landscape itself. L just didn't have the patience to listen to the droll information that was fed him during the journey. The pilot was a fan of old western movies, which didn't take place in the actual west as they knew today he tried to remind the man, but to little effect.

The detective had long ago committed J's file to memory, but as he stared at his idle laptop he wondered if he would get there in time to save her. In the past, he always saw victims in case files. Learned about who they used to be. He only hoped this would be a first where he could prevent the victim from becoming a "had been."

Soon the hills gave way to a massive river that wound like a tight ribbon along the land. As it widened and became choppy, the first buildings began to appear. Like spring grass, the buildings quickly grew dense and tall, skyscrapers towering in the middle. The river bisected the mass, however the larger portion stayed on the lower end of the waters path to the ocean.

"We'll be landing in just a few minutes. We're requesting landing clearance now," the pilot announced over the intercom.

"Thank you," L replied, though he knew he wouldn't be heard. Closing his laptop, he folded the little table into its compartment and buckled his seatbelt. Despite being uncomfortable by the belt he drew his knees up to his chest, hands clasping together around them, heals dug into the edge of the seats cushion. The descent was gentle. The turbulence, hardly worth noting. But the detective kept his eyes glued to the back of the seat in front of him nonetheless. L really disliked flying.

**(Meanwhile)**

J had managed a careful myriad during the last hour. The two men who had left her in the room had come back soon after with clothes and water in a bowl. Each took a turn to systematically process each girl. The girls had to strip down to their underwear, even their bras were uncomfortably tossed aside. Then they had to clean off any makeup and in J's case the blood from the rough ride north, with the water provided and stand still as they were checked for good teeth, any scars or tattoos and piercings. Despite being outnumbered 2to1, their captors had the advantage of carrying guns. The girls stood, trying to cover themselves despite the rough hands that forced them away to better view their size and note any abnormalities.

Holding her cell tight in one hand, the hacker at first tried to hide it from view, but their thorough search brought it quickly to their attention. Quick thinking was all that saved her. Both raised their guns and yelled for her to drop what she had. The blond from before shrieked in fright as the guns rose, trying to get distance between her and their target. The others held her with tears in their widened eyes. As one of their captors reached out and tried to force the cell out of her hand, J pulled it back and exclaimed,

"I'm deaf, moron!" This seemed to make them pause.

"What are you talking about?" one of them replied, clearly not believing her admission.

"Shut up man. If she's deaf, she obviously can't hear you," the other reasoned.

"Are you blind? That's a phone. She can't get service way down here, but we can't risk her having it when we take her to auction," the first growled as he reached for her hand again.

"No really. I had my mic disguised as a cell so that it wouldn't look odd when I carried it around," J explained quickly. Tucking a strand of hair out of the way, she brought to their attention her wireless headset. "See? Without these, I can't hear anything." Not trusting her, the man who had reached out to her grabbed the device and opened it. Putting the receiver to his ear, he waited for the dial tone. Pressing a couple of the buttons, he tried again to see if it made any sound like what a phone should. Luckily, J had activated her internet app, so it prevented a call from being placed, which meant that no dial tone could be heard. For good measure she had locked the device so that any accidental button pushing wouldn't deactivate the app until she wanted it to. Satisfied that the phone was not a phone, he handed the device back to her. Both men looked at each other for a moment before shrugging and moving to the next girl.

"Not for us to worry about anyway. If they need you to hear, that's their call." They continued to take notes on their captives, while each of the girls tried to stay out of the way of the guns and the molesting hands that groped them in passing.

Finished with their chore, the two men left after instructing them to don the clothes that were conveniently left on the floor by the water. Their old clothes, having been piled to the side when they were forced to strip had been scooped up and taken away before they could get near enough.

To their dismay, each outfit, a matching set of tank top and short shorts, hardly covered more than the bare essentials. Not to mention that the fabric though soft was sheer and made each girl seem even less covered than if they had gone without.

"We're never getting out of here," the blond moaned softly. J patted her on the shoulder, but couldn't muster the nerve to reassure her. It was hard to see the positive in this one.

They didn't have long to wallow in fear before the door opened again. This time a group of people, all wearing white clothes and carrying chains with big loops on them, filed in. Before they could think of a way of escaping, the group that J couldn't get a head count on due to their constant moving, descended and attached the loops like collars around their necks. They cried, or screamed, or cursed but it made little difference as gags were forced in their mouths and their hands were bound. Then, one by one, they were lead out of the room into a corridor that was dark as night and smelled of dust and sweat.

Light poured in from a room to the left. As they entered it they saw a room full of plush cushions and stone walls. Loops like the ones around their necks lined up along one wall. The people that lead them in chains tied them to the wall with the loops like an animal on a leash before leaving as silently as they had come. The other girls around her cried and pleaded, but J stood steady. It wouldn't do for her to lose her head now. Racking her brain for what these people were going to do, her answer came to quick to respond.

Sharp and precise, a pain sprung in her neck. It wasn't until after the needle was pulled out that she realized what had been done. Shock had finally kicked in, she thought vaguely. How else could she have not noticed the burly man who went in turn to each girl with his needle before now? The edges of her vision began to blur. Whatever had been injected burned in her veins as it traveled along to her heart. Then a steady numbness filled her. Fear made her drooping eyes snap open, but she could not fight off the sedatives pull for long. Gripping her phone, she looked at the screen. The battery level was on it's last bar.

"Shit," she murmured before her eyes dropped and she lost consciousness for the second time in as many hours.


	9. Chapter 9

**Things are really starting to get intense! Will L find J in time?**

The drug did not last long, though it made J's head groggy as she tried to lift it. It didn't take her long to realize she was no longer in the room with the other girls. No sound that indicated she was near anybody. Hands bound together and chained up high, her body was lifted up by her restraints so that she was sitting up awkwardly with her ankles similarly bound to a short chain on the floor.

Drawing her legs beneath her, the hacker attempted to see beyond the high beamed spotlight that shone down on her like a tube of white in a cave of darkness. When she moved, her cell phone slid off of her lap and onto the cold tile by her knee. The familiar ache of overuse in her ear let her know that the ear piece had not fallen out. The chains rattled, but she couldn't get to her feet or break the heavy links. Not that she could put much effort into it, her body felt heavy and sluggish. Eyes aching to droop closed again, she fought to see through the light to the rest of the room.

A shuffle of feet to the left caught J's attention, her bleary eyes trying to focus. Faintly, she could make out a figure and she instinctively called out. The body turned slightly, but made no further attempts to get closer to the college student. Whirring sounds and a few beeps alerted her to the activation of several electronics around her. Red dots appeared at even intervals around her. Realizing quite suddenly what the devices were, she cursed quietly. Video cameras. Whatever they had planned, it was going to be filmed.

"Let me go," she yelled as a spiked of fear chilled her racing heart. Anger welled within her despite her better judgment. If these people weren't going to kill her, they were going to sell her. But a willing slave, the hacker would not make.

Before she could shake off more of the drug with her adrenaline, the figure stepped forward and reached out with a black gloved hand. Ironic, she thought. Bad guys really_ do_ use black gloves when doing evil things to their victims. One massive hand grabbed her arm and the other jabbed a needle into the fatty part of her shoulder. A ten second pause occurred as she watched in disbelief while the hands pulled back beyond the veil of light into the shadows.

Eyes dilating, her body relaxed and became rubbery as if she didn't have muscles anymore. Any movement she made to sit straight ended up with her body curving and arching in ways that made dancers jealous. The worst part was that she felt a wave of euphoria that made her want to move more languidly. Lying back on the rough green tile, the hacker smiled despite what her mind was screaming. Body was relaxed and happy to be doing whatever, while her mind screamed and protested. Even the feel of the chains on her skin made her nerves tingle deliciously and she found her hands trying to make them touch more of her body. A moan escaped her lips before she could stop it, but the drug only urged her on, demanded that she feel more.

"We may now start the bidding," a static laced voice echoed through the room. As the hacker posed in the warmth of the light, a steady beeping began from different areas of the room. She couldn't see them, and the drug allowed her to not bother with what she couldn't see. But some part of her knew that they were watching, whoever they were.

**(Meanwhile)**

Getting off the airplane had been harder than getting on, even without the onset of motion sickness. L had rushed to the restroom before he could leave the terminal. Security was tighter in America, but he put in a call ahead of time, so was able to skip the security check before slipping into one of the bathrooms massive stalls.

After taking a few moments to collect himself and mourn the chocolate covered strawberries he'd just lost to the porcelain goddess, L marveled at the bathroom as he washed his hands. It was his first time going to the U.S, but he knew he had little time to waste on sight seeing. Even if it was only to gape at the odd dispenser of branded goods he'd never heard of. As he left the bathroom, L wondered idly what sort of things Always made that would warrant use in a public restroom.

As the detective walked out to baggage claim, his cell began to vibrate in his pocket. Immediately, he stepped to the side to let the mass of other travelers pass unbarred as he lifted the device. The caller, though unfamiliar, was not J's. Inaudibly, L sighed. He so had hoped she would be able to get in contact with him, but knew the chances were slim to none. Even if she somehow managed to keep it from being detected and removed, J would hardly be in the position to make calls. It went par for course with being kidnapped. Snapping the lid back he held the receiving end by the tip of his fingers as he answered with an innocent,

"Yes?"

"L? This is detective Marshal. I'm with the FBI, working on the Shanghai case. We've got word from one of our sources that a black market auction is taking place now in one of the upper levels of the Hotel Phoenix," an urgent male voice explained.

"Hmmm, do you believe that is where the captives have been taken?" L replied. Already he had determined that not to be the case. Any hotel would recognize if people were being brought in or out of the place against their will. Not to mention the security risk should something go wrong.

"No, it is only a meeting place for those of interest to bid on merchandise. To keep things civil between bidders and to protect them from association with the market, they gather at specific hotels and see the items via video cam. The items are presented and the auctioneer let the bidders use cells to text their bids."

"Sounds like you've learned a lot about this. So why haven't you moved in and made arrests?" L asked pointedly.

"Because there isn't any proof. We've no idea who is bidding and who is a normal hotel patron. Each bidder is in a separate hotel room with the video feed linked wifi. The bidder can disconnect at any time and no trail to follow makes finding the location of the captives impossible."

"They must alternate the rooms and hotels then," L muttered as he put connections together. He didn't need to find the buyers anyway. J was his goal and she wasn't going to be in one of those hotel rooms. Staying silent while he thought, L let the other detective ramble on about the details of the case and how the source who gave them the information was a former buyer. He prodded when appropriate, learning that once an auction ended, the girl's who were purchased tended to be shipped out to wherever their buyers designated. So once J was sold, she might likely drop off the grid and disappear. L sincerely hoped that he could prevent it. Too many statistics jumped to his mind. Her odds of survival dropped the longer he took to find her.

"I will let you know if I find anything of interest," he abruptly stated before snapping his phone shut. With renewed vigor, L grabbed his bag as it spun passed and walked out to hail a taxi. As the taxi driver pulled out to drive him to the heart of downtown Portland, L opened his laptop. With a convenient little map overlay, his tech had managed to pinpoint J's current signal. With a little luck, L could be there before the auction ended. Leaning forward slightly, the detective stopped his unconscious chewing of his thumbnail and lifted his shadowed eyes in urgency.

"If you don't mind, I'm in a bit of a hurry."

**BTW thanks everyone for your reviews. They make me feel loved. Which makes me write more. Which makes you all happy. So you tell me in your reviews. That's my circle of life in a nutshell.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yay another chapter! And this one is only L's POV. Cause I know he's who you really wanna see. lol Anywho, enjoy. Review. **

After only a few minutes L was certain that American drivers were crazy. In the span of three miles three drivers had cut them off, another had backed into the one ahead of them and several cars stopped in the middle of an intersection to help someone whose car had died half way across. The detective felt a knot tighten in his gut, something he didn't think even sugar would help alleviate. And the taxi driver was like a doctor Jackal mister Hyde. One minute he was apologizing to L and working to get around the obstacles that slowed the increasing traffic, the next he was shouting obscenities at other drivers and smacking his steering wheel.

Needless to say, L's patience was heartily tested as their vehicle made its way towards the docking area along the river. The signal wasn't coming from a boat or on the dock itself, but from one of the many boat warehouses that took in large freighters for maintenance. With a sideways glace out the window, L motioned for the driver to pull over a block or so away. Passing several tackle shops and the entrance to the boat docks, they pulled up in front of a tavern. After giving the man instructions and money for his time, the detective pulled himself haplessly onto the sidewalk.

Exhaust blew out in a heavy cloud as the taxi pulled away from the curb, making L cough despite his attempts to avoid it. With nary a glance at the tavern, not being one to sway at such vices, L took a breath to steady him self before moving on. The air was not all that different from London's, if a little less briny, he noted silently. Hands quickly delved into his pockets as he began to walk casually down the cracked and uneven walkway towards his target. As he walked down the road, he could see glimpses of the wide river between the buildings. It did not look nearly as impressive as England's harbors, nor did it look as clean. The brown tinge was a reminder to the detective of the natural deterrents of being at the end of a river instead of upstream.

Lifting his shadowed eyes, the detective refocused as he neared the warehouse. At five stories high and covered in weather worn, pealing, once blue now grey paint, the warehouse didn't look like it was safe to enter let alone work in. Windows on the upper levels were shattered at odd intervals and piles of metal or wood gathered along its rusting walls. A misshapen and in some places rusty chain link fence lined its border on the streets side with a white sign on the front so old that the letters of the company that owned it had long since faded off. Two large faded green shutter doors rose ten feet high on the side facing the street.

"Those must be where they bring in the smaller boats for repair," the detective wondered softly as he continued walking passed. _At least at one time_, he thought. It didn't look like it had been used in years. The warehouse was massive enough to take up most of the block, with only one smaller vacant building finishing off the rest on the corner. It had no sign and all the windows were boarded up. As he neared the corner he saw two large moving vans in front of the vacant building. Keeping his eyes lowered, he feigned disinterest as he passed. Nobody came out of the building or the truck as he rounded the corner. The moving vans looked legitimate, but that didn't mean anything if they were rentals.

Continuing on, he happened to spot a small alley that ran back towards the warehouse. Deciding it would be better to have a closer look without going back along the street, he smoothly turned into the crevice and stopped long enough to get his bearings. His heart pounded in his chest and the detective started to feel the beginnings of an adrenaline rush. This was the most involved he had ever been in a case.

Assessing the feeling, he decided he was unsure whether he liked it or not. It wasn't something he could ignore, but it wasn't something he really needed. What he preferred was a cool head to think clearly. Being on the fly like this didn't sit right. Too many things could go wrong. Too many things needing split moment recalculating. He preferred to strategize and find solid solutions rather than improvise. But someone needed his help and that was what he was doing all this for. If he couldn't do this, then what sort of great detective could he ever hope to become? With a nod to him self, L settled his inner debate, including his heart rate, and pressed on.

Trying his best to not make a sound despite the debris, L walked to the end of the alley only to face the chain link as it continued around the building. Looking both ways, he examined the metal for weaknesses or a hole. No such luck, if you didn't include the fire escape he discovered to get inside once he passed this obstacle. Sticking his thumb in his mouth, the detective puzzled over how to proceed. He couldn't just go back, what if the owners of the trucks caught him snooping back here?

"This is harder than it looks on those cop shows," he murmured as he decidedly grabbed the fence and began hoisting himself up. It wasn't easy, and it took him longer than he thought because his baggy shirt caught on the pointed ends at the top. Mourning the new hole in his shirt, he trotted over to the fire escape and carefully began to climb up. The metal steps creaked and the rusted railing fell off in hefty chunks, but he made it to the second floor door in one piece. However, it appeared to be rusted shut so he pressed on higher. Reaching the third floor door had been more luck than skill. Right after he reached the platform, the flight he had been on collapsed onto the platform below. Eyes wider than usual L turned to the door, his hand that reached for the knob shaking only a little. Surprisingly, it opened without much force allowing the detective to enter quietly.

Once inside the detective stood in silence as his eyes adjusted to the near darkness. The light he could make out was shining from down a narrow hallway in a room to the right. Slowly, he made his way closer. Each step was tentative, sliding between fallen roofing and construction materials. Along one wall was a sheet of plastic that shuttered and ruffled to some ghostly feint wind. Senses straining to hear, or see anything, he felt his heart pounding furiously.

Gently, he peaked around the corner to look into the room beyond. What he thought was a doorway to a room in fact was the entrance to the upper level catwalks. As he inched closer for a better look, L could see the large open space that at one time probably held large ships the length of football fields. Now it lay half collapsed under a sinking roof and filled with scraps of metal and the skeletons of a few smaller water crafts.

But what stood out in all the decay was the light. Surrounded by piles of rubble, an area had been cleared and lit with spotlights from the catwalks about twenty yards out and three stories down from L's location. Their beams of light shone down on chains that lay empty. And a circle of cameras focused towards the light.

"No," he murmured softly. He was too late. The auction was over.

**Dun dun dunnn! Sorry, uber cliffhanger. Hate me if you must, but love the story anyway. Cause it loves you too. ^'^**


	11. Chapter 11

**I just wanted to take a moment to thank all my wonderful readers. And to those who've reviewed this. And to all those who love L and his many quirks. I know I don't own him, but man do I love watching him panic. ^'^ Cause this is way outside his comfort zone. I think it's stuff like this that made him so sheltered in the series. He was scared of stuff falling apart on him. heehee. Anyway, big shout out to y'all. Thanks and keep reading, cause I'm not done yet!Don't forget to review!  
**

After the hacker was pulled from the makeshift stage and placed on the floor to the side, the other girls followed suite. Each one started out struggling against their bonds and crying out. Each one tried to pull their hands free of the chains. And each one received the shot that turned them into impromptu pole dancers. The girls, now swaying on the floor from their forced high, waited without speaking.

J had a fleeting idea that she wasn't tied up, that she should flee. But her body didn't listen to her commands. It merely lounged about, or moved in slow languid motions that seemed far to slow to accomplish anything. The feel of the rough floor beneath her caught her attentions more swiftly, allowing her other thoughts to slip away before she could grasp them. A small frown formed on her brow at the distant frustration of having forgotten what she was thinking. All her thoughts started to break themselves from her as if they could not form properly before turning to something else.

A slender hand reached out to touch the skin along her stomach. At first she thought it was one of their captors so swatted at the hand drunkenly. When it did not leave she looked over into the eyes of the blond from earlier. Tear streaks lined her face, but her eyes shone a deadened glimmer. With a sigh, the girl leaned down and rested her cheek on J's side. A couple hiccups the only remaining clue to the girl's misery over their predicament. J pet the blond gently, her fingers running along the silken tresses.

"It'll be ok," she murmured. Surprising, but she almost felt she could believe the words. Must be the drugs, she thought numbly. Logically, none of them would make it out now, no matter who was looking for them. The thought terrified her, but she couldn't grasp the emotions that fluttered inside, nor voice them coherently. Her free hand clutched the now dead cell phone. Little good it would do her, but some shred of sanity made her clutch it close instead of let it fall amidst all the metal around them.

A rush of activity pulled her from their silent stupor. Grabbed from their various places around the spotlight, the girls are then carried fireman style off into the darkness of the room. As the hacker's eyes adjusted, she saw that they were walking down a cleared pathway that wound through the wreckages of boats. She also noticed that it was darker the further they got from the stage. Her body longed to go back and play with the chains that still hung while basking in the light. A turn in the pathway blocked any view of the light, to which her body ached in disappointment.

The piles of rubble then disappeared as they walked into a cemented hallway. Many footsteps echoed in the tight space as she bounced on the shoulder of her carrier. Before she could get her eyes adjusted to the dimness, J was blinded by the sunlight and fresh air of outside.

Unceremoniously, she was then dropped on a hard surface with only a worn blanket to cushion the landing. A few cries of surprise around her and J knew two of the other girls had been similarly deposited. Then a tall shutter door was brought down with the screeching of worn metal. Darkness surrounded them again and a momentary silence. Noises ricocheted outside like metal grinding, possibly the lock being closed and doors slamming. The compartment that enclosed them began to vibrate as an engine roared to life. Then the entire thing lurched forward sending everyone inside to fall back.

***Meanwhile***

The scaffold swayed and groaned under his weight, but L didn't slow his pace as he rushed along. His heart was racing again, something he noted but took little stock in. He had been too late, or had he? The transmission equipment was still there. Maybe he had arrived in the nick of time. The detective let the little spark of hope fester, but he didn't let it compromise his analytical nature.

At the far end of the scaffold which was the nearest he could get to the setup was a very unpromising staircase that led down onto the main hanger's floor. Arms curled around the rusted railing, he tested the first step gingerly. It squeaked under him, but held. With a sigh, he let go of the rail and took another step.

A deafening groan echoed into the hanger. The detective stopped and looked at the stairs beneath him with a feeling of dread. Hands raised out ahead to steady him, L ran as fast as he could down the flights as they began to collapse behind him. Dark panda eyes widened and his mouth opened in silent terror as he fled. By some blessing of the gods, he managed to get onto solid ground just ahead of the crumbling structure.

Heart pounding and breath heaving, L looked back at the death trap he had barely survived. No time to thank whoever guarded his spirit, the detective rushed over to the setup. As he looked over all the electronics, he heard a slamming sound to his left. A pathway lead beneath the scaffold he had just been on. It looked to be the only direction they could have gone, if he didn't count the collapsed stairs and the scaffold above.

Hunched by nature more than purpose, he trotted along the pathway until it led to a hallway running underground. The detective listened, but couldn't hear anyone near. Deciding he wasn't going to get anywhere waiting for a flashlight, he plunged into the dark walkway.

Keeping one hand on the wall, he continued on at a brusque pace. He had an urgent feeling that grew inside and sped his steps. He knew that he was close. The hallway suddenly branched off, he could tell by the change in the stagnant air and the sound of water. Deciding to trust in his instincts, he continued to follow the side he was on.

The hallway rose abruptly into a room. Cautiously, he looked about and realized that other than it being completely dim lighted, it was empty. Then a spike of realization hit him. Rushing to the boarded up windows, he peaked in between two planks to see outside. Right in front were the two moving vans he had seen earlier.

"I knew those looked too inconspicuous," he murmured in a monotone whisper. "I must be in that little vacant building on the corner." And just as he made the connection, the vans roared to life.


End file.
